LENNOX ▸ RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK

TWENTY-SIX • THE CURE

For the sake of the story, the International Champions Cup between Chelsea and Arsenal will be taking place at the end of winter in London, at Wembley :)

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Ruben hadn't spoken a word to Lennox as the couple exited Wembley Stadium, made their way to Lenny's car and began driving home in the snowstorm that was currently hitting London.

The International Champions Cup hadn't exactly ended the way either had hoped it would. Chelsea and Arsenal had tied, processing to penalties, and Ruben's missed penalty gave Arsenal a chance to take the cup home.

There were a multitude of reasons why Lennox hated that outcome. For one, she loathed the Gunners, her blood running Chelsea blue when it came to any London derby. Two, she couldn't bare to see the disappointment on Ruben's face as he solely blamed himself for the loss. And three, even after they'd lost and Lennox tried hugging Ruben or holding his hand to comfort him, the midfielder shrugged it off, preferring not to be touched at the moment.

Lennox didn't know what to do to make him feel better, to make him say or do anything that would show that he wasn't letting this eat at him from the inside out. And so, they sat in the car, Lennox driving and Ruben sitting in the passenger's seat, a thick silence enveloping them.

Lenny made the mistake of trying to dissolve it. As always, whenever she was stuck in a situation, she went for humor.

"Did you see the girl who jumped the fence and stumbled over to Aubameyang? Leave it to Arsenal fans to run around Wembley in nothing but their knickers," Lennox snorted, her eyes glued to the slick and snowy road. The only sign she got that informed her that Ruben was in fact listening was a low hum, acknowledging her comment.

From her peripheral vision, she could see Ruben's eyes staring out the passenger side window, head resting on his hand supported by his elbow.

Unprepared to accept defeat, Lennox tried again. "What about those kits, eh? Never thought the color red could get more obnoxious but then Özil put it on."

At that, Ruben didn't even bother entertaining her with a reaction.

In a last ditch effort, Lenny sighed and, at a stop light, turned to her boyfriend. "Rubes, it's okay—"

"No, it's not!" he snapped at her, finally looking the blonde's way. His eyes were not the lively and cheerful eyes Lennox could easily recognize and had fallen in love with. These were the bitter and enraged eyes of a man who did not want to accept the outcome of what had just happened. "There is nothing okay about what just happened!"

Lennox recalled the last time they'd raised their voices at one another, really raised their voices at one another, when they fought about her letting him go so that he could chase his dreams. That was an important fight, one that was necessary to further their relationship. This was not.

That factor along with the simple fact that Lenny was not one to get emotional over little snaps or spats forced her to let it go. And even though she didn't see the point in sulking around, she let Ruben do just that.

They made it home, the silence deafening to Lennox's ears. She unlocked the door to their home, tossing the keys on the console table in the foyer, making her way into the kitchen for a much-needed quart of chocolate ice cream calling her name. She could feel Ruben's eyes on her as he leaned against the archway of the kitchen, watching her struggle to grab the tub from the top shelf of their tall fridge.

Lennox's ears perked up as she heard him near, his chest softly pressing to her back as one hand gripped her waist and the other reached over her head to grab what she wanted. She paused for a moment, eyes fluttering shut as Ruben's long fingers rubbed the exposed skin on her side, between the hem of her big and cozy long-sleeved Loftus-Cheek jersey and the waistband of her leggings.

She turned around then, taking the quart from his hand, grabbing a spoon and sneaking under Ruben's arm, deciding he would not get away so easily with snapping at her. He effortlessly caught up to her, standing behind the couch as she passed him on her way around to the front.

His arm reached out as she passed him, his hand wrapping around hers. "Lenny." His voice was soft, very contradictory to the voice he'd used in the car. He pulled her back by the hand, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck as he did so. "I'm sorry."

Lennox sighed, knowing she couldn't stay mad at Ruben for long. She hugged him back, sighing. "I'm sorry you had a shite day, babes. But, only two things can cure a bad day."

He leaned back, eyes full of curiosity. "And what are they?"

"Chocolate ice cream and reruns of Power."

And so that's what they did the rest of the day; and by the end of the night, Ruben could sufficiently say that Lenny's cure had worked.